


Jack's last journey

by Izuspp90 (Izuspp)



Category: Johnny Bravo (Cartoon), Samurai Jack (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M, Samuraibravo - Freeform, SemiAU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2019-11-16 13:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18095231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izuspp/pseuds/Izuspp90
Summary: Jack finally managed to get rid of the evil Aku, but having lost his first and only love, he is plunged into loneliness. An initially unfortunate event, will take him to complete his destiny in a last journey, that will show him the way to happiness.





	1. The other future

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [El último viaje de Jack](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14832422) by [Izuspp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izuspp/pseuds/Izuspp). 



> Explanatory notes
> 
> (PLEASE READ — I know it’s too long, but you’ll need to know this to understand some things about the story)
> 
> -Semi AU
> 
> -This is a translation of my original fic in Spanish, I’m not super good at English, therefore I’ll appreciate any correction on my mistakes.
> 
> \- You’ll have to bear with me because I wrote this based on the Spanish dub. Johnny’s phrases may not be the same that he uses on the English version, but I don’t really have the time to watch the episodes in English to compare.
> 
> -Located after finishing the 5th season of Samurai Jack
> 
> -Johnny’s time is on 2010’s because I don’t feel capable of write something on the time of the show (as per Wikipedia it’s on the 50’s -rlly?-)
> 
> -In this fic, Suzy is a teenager, not a little girl anymore. To be honest I don’t like her and as a child is very annoying also I needed her to be more mature for this story.
> 
> Disclaimer: Johnny Bravo belongs to Van Partible, Samurai Jack to Genndy Tartakovsky y and the pairing “SamuraiBravo” was created for the amazing c2ndy2c1d who you can find on Tumblr.
> 
> I’ve been following this artist for several years since she created the pairing Kevedd (Kevin x Edd from Ed, Edd & Eddy’ show). She created SamuraiBravo because of a very old animated short from Cartoon Network where they met at a laundry.
> 
> I fell in love with this pairing right away, they are so beautiful together and their personalities fit perfectly. However, what it motivated me to write this fic was one Spanish fanfic writer called LoretoW and her fanfic “Destinos Encontrados” as I saw the true love she has for this pairing, she inspired me to write my own story about them.
> 
> When I was a child I didn’t really like Samurai Jack, so I watched it about a year ago or so, and I was astonished. This show is a real master piece of art! Anyway, since in the show Jack didn’t have a ‘cliché happy ending’ as some expected, —although from my perspective he didn’t need it— I decided to take advantage of that and give one to him.
> 
> Additionally, is the first time I use cartoon characters, this gave me the chance to not worry about being extremely realistic on the plot and I didn’t have to make sure that everything was logic. So at the end it was a tremendous experience for me as a writer.
> 
> Just to finalize, I’d like to add that this story has short chapters and in general won’t be long. The plot is simple and the characters sometimes are a little bit OoC but not enough to be bothersome.
> 
> Hope you like it! :)

 

It was again that time of year: spring. Time in which the trees shown its cheerful pink color, in which people seemed to overflow with joy, in which everything was prosperous and hopeful. A year had passed since the brave prince of the nation, had managed to get rid of Aku's evil presence, freeing the world of the terrifying future that awaited them. Thanks to his heroic act, the terrible events that he witnessed for more than fifty years, never happened. Humanity never became enslaved; therefore, they never knew the horrors or the despair of living under the cruel command of that millennial demon.

When he was just a child, spring meant joy and fun for the prince. He loved to go out to the countryside, full of that colorful pink, with the animals playing, the birds singing beautiful melodies; all brimming with vitality. However, that spring had brought back the dreadful memories of his reality.

For more than fifty years, the prince suffered the vilest tortures, had to go through the cruelest situations and the hardest tests. Not a single person in the whole world, was or will be, more brave and powerful than him. He became a legend in that future that never happened in his present. The samurai witnessed countless suffering and the loss of thousands of innocent lives, at the hands of that demon. And because of this, in his new reality, the memories and nightmares of that horrible fate constantly haunted him.

Jack, —as he called himself after so many decades of using that name— managed to triumph over the wicked Aku; but that great victory was not enough to bring peace neither to his mind, nor to his heart. Even though he was able to free his parents and the people of the world, from that terrible fate that awaited them. Jack only continued suffering until the end of his journey. When he thought he could live happily, by the side of the only person he had ever loved in his life, Aku's misfortune fell upon him once more:

_"Without Aku, I could never have existed."_

Those were Ashi's last words, right before disappearing from his arms. At that moment, Jack could not help but think that, in one way or another, Aku had only brought misfortune to his life, and at the end he had got away with it.

Ashi helped him to get back on track and without her, he probably would never have been able to defeat Aku. For Jack the cruel irony was too much: precisely the entity that he despised the most, was who gave him his first and only love, and the one who snatched her from him as well.

From that day, even though the world could live in peace without Aku’s threat; his heart could never heal. Although he had been able to accept his fate, he could not help feeling loneliness and bitterness. And precisely, that time of the year, was the one that brought more painful memories.

Jack was sitting by the shadow of one of those magnificent cherry blossoms as he had done so many times before; enjoying the fresh breeze and the tranquility that could be breathed there. But the memories of everything that life had taken from him, continued tormenting him even in a state of consciousness.

A small ladybug flew to rest on his hand and although simple, this was the trigger for those sad memories to occupy his mind. Those sympathetic insects, always made him remember her and therefore; realize the unhappiness in which he lived. Jack looked at the bug with melancholy and he allowed himself to shed a few tears, while evoking in his mind again and again, that fateful day he lost Ashi.

“Will you ever allow me to be happy, Aku?” The samurai asked loudly, then released a sigh from the depths of his soul.

But destiny had something more prepared for the prince. His journey was not yet over and he realized that, at the moment when, out of nowhere, a shining light hovered in front of him, blinding him.

“What is this? Aku ?!” The samurai shouted in his confusion. He stood up and tried to open his eyes so that he could confirm the source of that strange light that he feared, was once again the presence of the devil, who had returned to torment him.

His inquiry was soon resolved. That well-known light enveloped him and in the twinkling of an eye, Jack found himself traveling once more, in what looked like a time portal. For the samurai, the only logical explanation was that, in effect, the malevolent Aku had managed to survive and after a year of recovering from the damage he had done to him, he had returned to take revenge.

“Not again!” He begged desperately, fearing to reach once again that fearsome and dark future, ruled by the greatest enemy of mankind.

Not long after, the light faded, and Jack landed on the lawn. He wondered how far in the future he was sent this time? And at the same time, he regretted having to undertake that exasperating journey again from the beginning. Was destiny so cruel that he had to repeat that torture a second time? And if so, for how long on this occasion?

“I cannot believe it! I had it in reverse mode, but, it worked anyway!” A shrill man's voice was heard, which caused the samurai to become alert, unsheathing his katana and pointing directly at whoever had uttered those words.

“Who are you?” Jack seriously questioned, to who seemed to be a young man with a particular hairstyle and glasses.

“Heavens! Please wait! Let me explain!” The young man with brown hair begged. “I can’t believe it! Are you a real samurai?”  Weirdly, as if his life were not at risk, the boy interrogated with curiosity and emotion.

“I am afraid that at this moment, I am not in the mood to answer any interrogation. On the contrary, I suggest you proceed with your explanation.” Jack asked, still threatening him with the tip of his sword, pointing directly at the neck of the strange boy.

“Calm down, calm down! Will you?” Asked the boy, while thick drops of sweat ran down his forehead in such a dangerous situation. “My name is Carl and I'm a scientist”

After Carl’s introduction, Jack decided to let his guard down for now, so he pulled his sword away, keeping it in its scabbard.

“Are you one of Aku's scientists”

“Aku? Who is he”

“It is not this world ruled by the evil Aku?” The situation became increasingly odd and confusing for the samurai.

“Well, I don’t know who that Aku may be, but we have a president who is quite evil.” Carl joked, but when he realized that the man was not going to be able to understand his joke, he cleared his throat to begin with his explanation. “Look, I'm just a kid boy who likes science and invent things. My most recent invention is this...” Carl pointed to the ground, near Jack, where he had placed a strange device.

“What is that peculiar artifact”

“This, my friend, is a time machine!” He prideful assured.

“A time machine? So, I am indeed in the future!”

“Certainly” Carl confirmed “I wanted to use the machine to travel to the past myself, however I just noticed that I configured it wrongly and instead of taking me, it brought to the future a person from the past, I mean you”

“Are you sure that this world is not ruled by Aku in any way?” The samurai was totally perplexed, but it was his duty to make sure everything went well in the new future.

“I don’t really know any Aku... wait just a second…” Carl took out his cell phone and after making a quick search on the internet, he showed the screen to Jack. “Can you see it? Except for a couple of video game characters, there is no one called Aku” He assured smiling.

“So, the world was definitely freed from the evil of Aku...” The samurai reflected, more for himself than for his interlocutor. “Those are excellent news, my friend!” With a wide smile, Jack took both of Carl’s hands, shaking amicably.

“I’m not sure exactly it means, but I'm glad I helped!”

“I would like to humbly offer my apologies, for having pointed my sword towards you my friend, and at the same time, to thank you for having given me such valuable information”  Jack bowed deeply to Carl and when he stood up, he showed him a warm smile of genuine happiness, a feeling that he had not fully experienced for a long time.

“Oh! It was nothing, colleague!”  Carl quite didn’t understand how valuable his search on the internet had been, but he decided to go along with that peculiar man, after all, he must be very overwhelmed by his time travel.

“If it is not too much trouble, my friend, could you please use your machine one more time to send me back to my own time? I want to share the good news with my parents as soon as possible”

“Sure, there's no problem!” The young man exclaimed, totally confident. He went to his machine, adjusting it one more time for its use. “I just have to press this button and…”

As mentioned, Carl tried to operate the mechanism, but this instead of working as expected, began to generate a strange electricity, followed by a curtain of smoke that came from inside.

“Is that normal?” The samurai questioned.

“It isn’t!  And I suggest you to take cover!” Carl had not finished giving his warning, when he began to run like as a deranged, several meters far from the machine.

Jack obeyed the warning immediately and quickly caught up with Carl. The two of them threw themselves to the ground and covered their heads, just at the moment when Carl's machine exploded in thousands of pieces.

“Oh no! It was not supposed to do that. With the work that cost me to build it!” Carl lamented.

“This is bad. Carl, can you build another machine, so I can go back to the past?” Questioned the samurai with concern, while taking him by the shoulders, staring at him totally serious

“I could, but…”

“But what?!” Jack shook him slightly.

“It took me a long time to gather the money to buy the materials to build it, and it is quite difficult to get some of them. I can try to replicate it but for that, I need to get a lot of money. Sorry, man, this is going to take me a long time” Carl explained feeling quite guilty.

With each word that came from Carl’s mouth, Jack was plunged into the deepest disappointment. There could be no Aku in that world, but once again, he was doomed to wander in the future until that boy managed to send him back to the past.

 _“Once again, cruel destiny drives me away from everything I love"_ He lamented to himself, with all hope lost and a great sadness that gnawed him. However, Jack had no idea that this unusual event, was the one that would soon end his melancholy and would repair the wounds of his soul and his heart…

 

To be continued…

 

* * *

 

**Thanks for giving this story a chance and I hope you liked this little introduction. I would also apologies about all my mistakes and as mentioned above, please feel free to correct me, so I can learn.**

**Also, if you liked it, please leave a comment, I’ll truly appreciate it :D**

 


	2. It's a beautiful day, but not as beautiful as me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for giving this story a chance, it is a bit slow now, but romance will come soon. I apologize in advance for the bad quality of my translation and if someone is kind enough to suggest me corrections to my mistakes, I’ll appreciate it a lot.
> 
> Hope you like it anyway!

 

“Carl, is there anything I can do to expedite the construction of the new time machine?” Jack wisely knew how to recover his calm immediately and tried to find the solution to the problem he was facing.

“Well, since the biggest problem is money, maybe you could look for a job?” Suggested the boy.

“It's an excellent idea!” The samurai exclaimed. “After all, I must find a method to survive in this world as well”

“About that, I guess I could hide you in my room” Carl felt guilty, because after all, it was his fault that Jack was stuck in his time and could not go home. “I can’t let my family see you, I don’t think they’ll understand, but I can’t leave you on your own either”

“That will not be necessary, I survived for fifty years on my own in a hostile world, governed by suffering and torture. In this new future in which none of that exists, I think it will be very easy for me to live. I thank you for the generous offer my friend, but I am satisfied with the fact that you are willing to help me get back to my time”

“Well, I guess I can’t do anything to change your mind and that saves me a lot of problems” Carl shrugged without giving much importance to the crazy speech of the enigmatic man. “So, I suggest you go to the center of the city, there you can surely find a job quickly”

“Could you show me the way? If the trouble is not too much”

“You just have to walk in that direction, for about thirty minutes and you'll get there” Carl pointed the direction towards the center of the city. “But wait! First of all, I must warn you about ‘the future’ Surely there are many things that will seem strange and frightening for you”

“Oh, please do not bother! I know everything about the future: flying cars, robots, machines, spaceships, aliens ...” Enumerated the confident samurai, remembering all the decades in which he had to deal with all kinds of strange and unknown things for him.

“Flying cars? Spaceships? ...” Carl began to believe that he had not brought a samurai from the past, but rather some madman of the present, obsessed with science fiction stories.

“I am going then, I need to find a job as soon as possible” After making a deep bow, the samurai made his way. Willing to face whatever that new future brought him”

Jack walked for about twenty minutes, while he observed everything around him, trying to get used to the idea that temporarily, that was going to be his new home. It seemed a little strange to him that this future seemed very different from the one he already knew. He didn’t see any robot or machine, they were all human or ordinary animals; and the cars didn’t fly either. But what seemed stranger, was that everything was too peaceful, too bright, too colorful. As a different version of his own time.

People on the street seemed calm and happy, with nothing to disturb their peace, dedicating themselves solely to their daily activities. Jack then came to the conclusion that, this was the future that awaited to the Earth he had saved. Internally, he was grateful to have had the opportunity to travel once again in time; since he could confirm with his own eyes, that all the suffering and his struggle, had paid off.

Finally, Jack arrived at the center of the city. He walked slowly, looking for somewhere where he could apply for a job. Humility, he didn’t care what kind of work he would do; since for him any job was dignifying. So, he went into a few places to ask, however he was rejected on all occasions, either because he was not fully aware of the nature of the business; or because of his strange appearance caused people mistrust.

A couple of hours later, Jack was feeling a little lower, thinking that it would not be so easy to find a place to work. He thought it was logical, because in that new future, no one fought, therefore his skills, that mostly had to do with the fight, were of no use there.

But as if a force beyond his imagination, was reading his thoughts, at the precise moment when he walked in front of a place with the sign: ‘karate school’; a huge guy practically flew out the door, landing directly at his feet. Or rather, apparently the man had been thrown from inside the building.

“Are you hurt, friend?” The samurai hurried to help him. However, the muscular man with extravagant blonde hair and mysterious dark glasses; could not answer his question, as a middle-aged man immediately appeared at the door of the building.

“I'm tired of your nonsense Johnny! I don’t want to see you around anymore. You are expelled from my school!”

“But master Hama!” Before the surprised Jack, the man who seemed to be injured, got up nimbly to beg that ‘master’. “Give me another chance! I’ll show you that the great Johnny Bravo will be the most talented karate expert you have ever seen”

“Nobody could teach you how to fight! You're an idiot!” Exclaimed the man, tired of the clumsiness of his student. Then, while the blond kept begging him to let him stay at his school, the older man first laid eyes on Jack; who was stupefied watching that show. “Hey you!” He called Jack, ignoring Johnny completely.

“You mean me, honorable sir?” The samurai questioned respectfully.

“Yes, you. I see you're wearing a gi, do you happen to know anything about karate?”

“Effectively. I am trained in all the fighting and martial arts disciplines that are known in the world, karate is a quite familiar style for me”

“Would you be interested in a job as an instructor in my school?”

“Are you serious, sir? Of course, I am very interested!” Jack couldn’t be happier with that strike of luck that seemed rather, to be the work of fate.

“All right. You’ll start immediately! Your first student will be this ...” Said the master, pointing to Johnny. The moment he saw Jack, Master Hama knew that the only way he wouldn’t have to deal with the useless Johnny Bravo, was to get an assistant stupid enough to take him as a student. Even if he had to pay another salary, ironically, Johnny was the only constant student in his academy.

“It will be an honor to share my knowledge in such a respectable place and I would like to tell you that I will be eternally grateful for this opportunity, master” Jack couldn’t be happier, he was lucky enough to find a perfect job for him, with only a few hours of having undertaken his search. For a change, it was good that one of his searches was not so extensive and exhaustive.

“Yes, yes, whatever. By the way, what is your name?”

“They call me Jack” The samurai simply replied, in a situation that was quite familiar to him.

“Well, Jack, Johnny; Johnny, Jack. You’ll be teacher and student from this moment” Master Hama introduced them to each other.

 “It's a pleasure to meet you Johnny, and it will be a privilege to share my knowledge with you” Jack smiled kindly and bowed to the muscular blond.

“Exactly! It’ll be a privilege to have such a great student. I hope your moves are good Jack! I’m a high level student after all” Typical of Johnny, he didn’t waste opportunity to show off skills he didn’t have.

“Those are excellent news, we can work on more advanced techniques then”

“Well, you won’t do anything standing out here” Master Hama then made them go into the academy. Jack could see that the rest of the students in the place were just children, who dedicated Johnny looks of resentment or stuck out their tongue as he entered, although he didn’t notice.

Finally, master Hama made them go to an adjoining room, separated from the rest of the students and told them that they could train there. The eldest only wanted to isolate Johnny and his disaster, from the rest of the children. After all, the clumsy blond had been responsible for some of his students leaving his karate school in the past. After leaving them there, satisfied with the result of his plan, the man withdrew to teach his class.

“Okay Johnny, I want you to please show me what you can do. That way I will make me an idea of your abilities” Jack indicated, patiently.

“I hope you brought your sunglasses Jack, because you'll be dazzled!” Johnny said, while making quick movements, taking advantage to show the huge muscles of his arms.

The blond then proceeded to perform his ‘karate moves’, he really wasn’t good at all. He threw awkward blows and kicks into the air, made strange turns, crouched and jumped senselessly. To Jack none of that seemed to be karate; but his kind and patient nature made him only want to teach Johnny the true movements representative of that martial art.

“That is very good Johnny, but I am afraid that your technique has a lot to polish. If you allow me, we will start reviewing the basics, just to get familiar and taking pace with the class. Let me show you”

The samurai then proceeded to remove the upper part of his attire, revealing his great body. Johnny was quite surprised, because under that ‘robe’ as he thought it was Jack's suit, the man looked quite rickety. However, he could see that it wasn’t like that at all, since his arms showed well-formed muscles and his torso, sported large pectorals and of course, marked abs.

Jack positioned himself with his legs spread, one in front and one behind, while flexing one of his arms and throwing a powerful punch in front of him with the other. He repeated the action with the other arm and continued interspersing limbs a few times. Next, he flexed both arms and began to throw strong kicks, lifting the whole of each of his legs, performed the action again and again; then he proceeded with the grand finale: the samurai took a very high jump, doing a pirouette in the air and landing on both of his feet, crouching.

Johnny observed everything totally perplexed. Not even the great Squint Ringo, his favorite actor, had movements as great as the ones Jack showed at that moment. But that was the least amazing of his first class. Jack began to instruct him on how to perform those punches and kicks, and surprisingly, Johnny was able to perform them, almost without any problem. In all his years at master's Hama karate academy, he had never felt that way. He thought that the teacher had never been able to teach him that kind of things.

Immediately, Johnny developed admiration for Jack. Except for the master and Ringo, the blond was never interested in any man. But the samurai, apart from being patient and kind, was a very good fighter and teacher, therefore Johnny couldn’t help but feeling excited to have him as an instructor.

 _“With Jack's teachings, I'll be conquering babes in two shakes of a lamb's tail_!” It was the first thing that came to his mind, and that's why he got so much more excited.

After a while, master Hama returned to the classroom, telling them that class time was over. Johnny left the place and Jack first went to said goodbye to his new employer, assuring him that he would go to work the next day without fail. When he left the academy, he found Johnny leaning against the wall, outside the school, as he was waiting for him.

“Hey Jack! Do you want me to take you to your house on my motorcycle? A great teacher like you and a handsome boy like me, will surely conquer some chicks on the road. What do you say?

“I am infinitely grateful for your offer to take me to my house in your vehicle, friend Johnny. But I am afraid I have to decline such a generous invitation. I just arrived in this city and for now, I do not have a place to live. In fact, I was about to look for accommodation before night falls” Explained the samurai, noting that he still didn’t have a place to spend the night.

“Oh, that's not a problem! Why won’t you come to my house? My mom will love having you at home, I'm sure it will not bother her”

“I do not want to be a nuisance” Jack refused, just as he had with Carl before.

“C’mon man! You’ll like my mom's food” Without giving him time to refuse again, the blond pulled Jack to where his motorcycle was parked, put his helmet and mounted the vehicle. “Now put your butt right here and let's go!”  The blond patted the back seat of his motorcycle.

Jack didn’t like to make people beg him for anything. He knew how to accept help when he needed it, since he was of a totally humble nature, and pride had no place in his being. The sight of Johnny's funny motorcycle, for a moment brought sad memories of the past, but seeing the cheerful smile of the blond, when inviting him to mount, reminded him that now he was in a new future; in which he would never go through those bitter situations anymore.

The samurai rode after Johnny, and clung to him, happy because everything was going great that day, even, he came to think he was right that this journey, had turned out to be beneficial, to learn how his efforts had turned out in peace for the world.

Definitely, that day fate smiled at him.

 

To be continued…


	3. Hey, baby!

**Hey, baby!**

While riding with Johnny on his motorcycle, Jack was entertained observing a little more of that city. By means of different signs, he was able to verify that it was called Aron City and, from what it looked like, it was a really peaceful place. Which in turn, gave him peace inside; since the more he saw, the more he made sure that there was nothing to fear in that world. That new future was full of kind people like Carl, the master Hama and Johnny.

Jack immediately connected with the flamboyant blond. Because he turned out to be a pretty fun and relaxed guy; he only caused the samurai to laugh and be glad to be in his company. Seeing how that young man was totally focused on talking about his appearance, conquering women and arriving home to eat dinner prepared by his mother; it gave Jack great satisfaction. The fact that a person could afford to give importance to banalities like those, meant that there was nothing to feel threatened in that future.

Finally, they arrived at Johnny's home: a cozy and picturesque house, with a nice garden.

“This is the Bravo residence. Welcome to the palace of this prince!” Following his presentation, Johnny flaunted his muscles, kissing his bulging biceps.

“Are you a prince?” The samurai questioned surprised. “What a coincidence my friend! I am too”

“Yeah, whatever…” The blond replied more than confused with the strange words of his instructor. “Anyway, come in and feel like in your own house Jack”

“With your permission” Jack politely entered the residence, but not before leaving his sandals in the entrance, action to which Johnny only raised an eyebrow in sign of more confusion. But he quickly assumed that it was to be a custom of the Asians, so he just shrugged and proceeded to enter his home looking for his mother.

Jack stayed in the living room, curiously observing all the objects of the place and feeling really at ease, since he was happy to have been welcomed by Johnny in such a nice home. A couple of minutes later, Johnny reappeared followed by his mother.

“Jack, I want to introduce you to my mom. - He pointed. - Momma, he's Jack, my new karate teacher.

“Oh, I'm glad to meet you Jack! Thanks for teaching my little baby!” Mrs. Bravo greeted him, while offering his hand to the man.

“It is an honor for me to meet you, Mrs. Bravo. In advance, I thank you deeply for accepting me in your pleasant dwelling, I will try not to cause you any trouble” Jack answered the greeting, offering a deep bow, while taking the woman's hand in his.

“Please Jack, call me Bunny!” The woman laughed coquettishly. “It is not necessary that you treat me with such formality. I’m pleased to receive my baby's friends”

“Mom, is dinner ready? All that training opened my appetite”

“Of course, it'll be ready in a few minutes. Meanwhile, why don’t you show Jack your room?” She suggested. “I hope you don’t mind sharing the room with Johnny, Jack. I recently converted the guest room in my personal gym, so we have nowhere else for you to stay”

“Do not worry Bunny, any place will be fine for me. If necessary, I can stay here” The samurai pointed to the sofa.

“Don't worry Jack, I’ve a sleeping bag in my room, you don’t have to sleep on the sofa” Johnny approached Jack, putting one of his arms on his shoulders, to begin to guide him to his room.

“I have to thank you again for your hospitality Johnny” Jack pronounced extremely grateful for the good treatment, since in all his trips, there were few occasions in which he had not had to sleep in the ground.

“Don’t mention it, man. Now, how about you take a bath before dinner? My mom doesn’t like us to have dinner without having bathed before” The blond suggested as he opened the bathroom’s door of his room.

“Of course, with your permission then…” The samurai entered the bathroom and got rid of his attire, then went into the shower. But despite having lived a long time in the future, Jack had never seen a shower like the one installed in Johnny's bathroom.

He thought for a moment before turning the faucet, immediately, too hot water began to fall on him. So, he hurried to close it again. The samurai had no problem bathing in ice water if necessary, but the hot water did hurt him. He tried again, but without success. For a moment he thought that maybe in that future, people were more resistant to heat. But giving up by not being able to bathe with that water, decided to ask for help.

“Johnny! Can you come a moment please?”

The blond who was resting on his bed while waiting his turn to bathe, heard the call of his instructor and hurried to see what he wanted.

“What is it, Jack? Are we out of shampoo?”

“I know the question may seem a little silly, but, could you show me how to use this device? I am afraid that every time I try, I only get water that is too hot for me” He asked, embarrassed by his ignorance, while showing off totally naked to meet his host. Although Jack was very modest with the nakedness between a man and a woman, he had no problem in showing himself naked in front of another man, since even in his culture it was natural to take baths together between members of the same sex.

Johnny, on the other hand, stared up and down curiously. Despite his beefy body, Jack to some degree possessed a strange, somewhat feminine beauty. With his narrow waist, his long legs and his pale skin color. Due to the hot water, his cheeks were rosy, which in turn, highlighted the white color of his body and the dark black of his eyes. In addition, when his hair was completely loose, it fell gracefully on his shoulders and outlined his face. The blond raised an eyebrow as he took care to inspect the opposite body thoroughly; feeling strangely attracted to that vision.

“Johnny? Is there something wrong, friend?” Questioned Jack, seeing how the other man was petrified in front of him without saying a word. Luckily for Johnny, behind his dark glasses Jack could not see his eyes, so he didn’t notice how Johnny looked at him.

“Woa!” He exclaimed to be brought to reality. “I think I got distracted thinking about a ... hot chick...”

“I see” The samurai laughed. “In any case, would you please help me? If it is not a bother”

Without saying anything because of the embarrassment of his thoughts, Johnny proceeded to show Jack how to use the shower. He didn’t even have time to think about how strange it was that he didn’t know how to use it, since he was absorbed in the pain of understanding that for a second, he thought that another man was ‘beautiful’.

After both had bathed, they went to the dining room where Bunny served them a delicious dinner. During the meal, the woman was in charge of questioning Jack:

“Tell me dear. Where are you from? How long did you get to the city? I don’t think I've seen you before”

“I arrived today in the morning. I was brought from hundreds of years ago in the past, by Carl's time machine. Unfortunately, the machine exploded and now I am trapped in this present, which would be my future; until we can build a new one. For this, I will be working in master Hama’s academy, therefore we can raise the money for building the new machine”

Both mother and son turned to look to each other, without saying anything, showing grimaces of disbelief and shrugged.

“Well, if it involves Carl, you can expect anything” After his comment, the woman began to laugh out loud, being imitated by her son. Jack didn’t understand what was so funny, but out of courtesy he joined in the laughter. The three finished dinner quietly, and then Johnny told him it was time for his favorite show.

“Look Jack, he's Ringo Squint, I've seen all his movies and I know all his techniques” After saying that, Johnny took the opportunity to show his clumsy movements once again in front of Jack, who couldn’t help but laugh at the nonsense of the blond. Johnny was an exceptionally funny guy. In the short time he knew him, Jack understood that Johnny was like a child, just as innocent. But once again, that was only proof of the peace in which the people of that world lived.

The samurai joined Johnny watching the show of that ‘Ringo’. Television wasn’t an entirely foreign concept for Jack, who in the future of Aku, managed to get to know the screens and the tv shows, although in that world; those were not as innocent as in this new reality. Usually, in the other future, the tv shows always were about Aku and the wickedness he did in the world. With this new type of shows, Jack could even laugh a lot, due the fact that, the ridiculous movements of the man in the screen, were exactly the same as his new friend used, and with it he understood where Johnny had taken them from.

At the end of the show, it was time to go to sleep. So, Johnny led him back to his room, where he installed the sleeping bag that would become Jack's new bed.

“I thank you very much this, friend Johnny. I owe you” Thanked him once more before taking off his gi and get in underwear.

“Wow! Are you going to sleep like that? Don’t you have a pajama?” Johnny had been embarrassed again, remembering the strange situation of earlier that day, so alarmed wanted to avoid seeing again, the naked body of his friend.

“What is a pajama?”

“Oh really? I think I'll have to give you one then” Johnny proceeded to give Jack his blue pajamas, since he would wear the one with tiger stripes. But because of the difference in complexions, Jack’s was overly baggy. “I think this will not work”

“You do not have to worry about me. The temperature is nice; therefore I will not catch any cold if I sleep like that. I'm used to sleeping out in the open anyway”

“No way!” Johnny began to rummage in his wardrobe, throwing clothes into the air as he reached the depths of his drawers. “Bingo!” He exclaimed. “How do you like this one?”

The blond gave him one of his old clothes, from his high school years when he used to be a thin, weak young man. Nor did he know why he still had those clothes. Jack then put on them, but on the contrary, they were pretty tight, marking his whole body.

“This doesn’t work either ...” His frustration lasted only a few seconds, because when he saw Jack's gi hanging on the wall, Johnny had a ‘great’ idea. “Wait here…”

Minutes later, the blond reappeared, bringing with him a pink garment with lace. It was one of his mother's robes. Johnny thought that by himself Jack was already wearing a robe, so he should have no problem using that of his mom.

“How do you like this one?”

Jack put on the robe, totally oblivious to how ridiculous he looked with it and rather appreciating how comfortable it was and how soft the fabric was to the touch on his skin. Besides, it was quite warm, and he knew it would be an excellent coat to spend the night. Seeing that his plan had worked, Johnny lifted a thumb and smiled at him satisfied; gesture to which Jack responded with a kind smile.

The samurai and the blond lay in their respective beds, each with their own impressions and thoughts hovering in their heads: Johnny still embarrassed by the strange situation with his new instructor, but satisfied with his ‘intelligence’ to know how to avoid a new embarrassing situation. And Jack, totally pleased with the kindness of his student. Thinking that he was so considerate that he had even taken the trouble to look for the perfect outfit, so that he could spend the night comfortably.

After a while, both men fell peacefully asleep, not knowing what that innocent encounter, would bring them in the not so distant future ...

To be continue…

 

* * *

 

**Hope you’ve liked it and please don’t hesitate to let me know what you think about the story :)**


	4. Jack and the Bravos

 

The next day, Jack woke up early as usual, feeling he had slept great. He stretched, tied his hair and took off Bunny's robe; to replace it with his own attire. He watched Johnny, who was still sound asleep in his bed. The samurai laughed that not even to sleep, he took off his glasses.

"I am happy to have been able to create this peaceful future for you.” The man said in a whisper, placing one of his hands on the strong arm of Johnny, who didn’t flinch. Jack couldn’t help but feel satisfied and proud of his work in the past.

Jack left the room and went to the garden, where he began to practice a light routine of morning exercises and meditation; to start his day with energy. After half an hour, Bunny appeared on the door; as smiling as the day before.

"Oh Jack! You get up so early. Nothing compared to my Johnny.” The woman laughed at her own comment and came even closer to Jack. "Speaking of which, could you do me a favor, dear?”

"Of course! Whatever you need Bunny, rest assured that I will do everything possible to fulfill your request.”

"Wow! But how gentlemanly, you even make me blush!” The woman gave him a light shove on the arm while laughing a lot more. "Anyway. Could you help me wake up Johnny? Right now I'm going to my yoga class and my son doesn’t get up even with the alarm clock. It’d also be good if you make him breakfast, since he can’t make more than cereal. I trust that a man as skilled as you, can prepare a delicious breakfast for my baby.

"It will be a pleasure to help you, after all you are letting me stay at your home and it is the least I could do.”

"I knew I could count on you!" The woman pulled one of Jack's cheeks affectionately and left to avoid losing her class “See you!”

Jack finished his exercises and entered the house again. He rummaged in the kitchen to become familiar with everything that was there and he started cooking. Since the samurai had traveled all over the world, both in the past and in the future; he had not only learned to fight, but also to cook. Quickly, he prepared a typical breakfast of fried eggs with bacon, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice and some fresh fruit.

He then went to the blond's room to wake him up as Mrs. Bravo had entrusted him.

"Good morning Johnny. It's time to get up.” He said quietly, but received no response.

"Johnny, breakfast is ready, it will get cold if you do not hurry.” Again, the blonde showed no sign that he was going to get up.

Jack thought for a moment, he couldn’t just yell at him and it seemed disrespectful to shake him to get up. But then he thought that maybe Johnny was just playing a joke on him, he didn’t think it was possible for someone to sleep so deeply. So, with the aim of catching him in his deception, he directed his hand to the blond's face, ready to remove his glasses to see if he was indeed awake. But Jack wasn’t fast enough, and Johnny's hand took him by the wrist, managing to keep him from removing his glasses.

"Stop there! No one touches Johnny's glasses and lives to tell about it.” He threatened ridiculously, but managed to get a cheerful laugh from Jack.

"I am sorry, my friend, I have been trying to wake you up, but it seems you were deep in sleep.”

"It's my beauty sleep ... Wait! What I smell is bacon?

"Breakfast is ready, if you like please go to the dining room. Your mother left, but she asked me to...”

Jack didn’t even have time to finish his sentence, since the blond had left the room quickly, attracted by the delicious smell of food. The man did nothing but laugh again, thinking that everything that Johnny did, was quite funny.

The samurai joined him quickly in the kitchen, told him to sit down while he served the food. Johnny watched as the man diligently prepared everything and set the dishes in front of him. Once Jack had taken his place at the table, Johnny didn’t wait to sink his teeth.

"This tastes almost as good as my mom's breakfasts. Someday you’ll be a good wife...”

"Excuse me?”

"A good husband, I mean! Someday you’ll be a good husband!” Johnny corrected himself totally embarrassed by his stupid comment. Even he could realize that he had just said what came to his mind and that it was very foolish of him to make that mistake

"I appreciate the compliment Johnny.” Jack stated, smiling melancholy.

"I suppose you’ll now go to Hama master's academy. Would you like the great Johnny to take you on his motorcycle?” He changed the subject to avoid further discomfort.

"I do not want you to deviate from your occupations, Johnny. I have memorized the way and if I hurry, I will arrive on time on foot.”

"Don’t worry, Jack. Anyway, my class is in the afternoon so, in the meantime I’ll be near the academy conquering some girls. Wouldn’t you like to come with me Jack?

"I thank you for the invitation, but I must get early at my job place; otherwise I will not get enough money to build the time machine.”

"You know? All that story about the machine, it seems strange to me.”

"I know, if I was not living it myself; I would not believe it either. I mean, I can understand that a malignant millennial demon sends me to the future with its magic. But a machine? It is crazy!”

Johnny once again raised his eyebrow, confused by those weird words.

"You’re somewhat eccentric Jack, but I like you. I bet women go crazy for you. Don’t you have a girlfriend or something like that?”

Upon hearing that question, Jack's face darkened. Since he had reached that future, he had completely forgotten about Ashi, but that morning he remembered her again thanks to the comments of his new friend.

"There was, once. I had never loved anyone in my life ...” He admitted with all the pain reflected in his expression. "Anyway, I should depart now. I will see you in the afternoon in our class, Johnny.”

Without saying more, the samurai got up from the table, then left his host's home quickly. Johnny, who was usually carefree and self-centered, couldn’t help but feeling a strange lump in his throat at having seen that expression on his instructor's face. For a moment he wondered what had happened to Jack's girlfriend, to make him change so suddenly; from his kind and gentle face to one so heartbreaking.

"So, there is someone...” He whispered thoughtfully to himself, without explaining why knowing that new information made him feel so uncomfortable.

For his part, Jack thought that the best thing would be to devote himself to his work, to distract himself from those terrible memories that still haunted him. He left Johnny's house with the intention of quickly reaching the academy, but he ran into a young girl who apparently had intentions of knocking on the door.

"Oh hello! Who are you? A friend of Mrs. Bravo?” The redhead asked when she saw Jack at Johnny's door.

"Good morning, they call me Jack and I am a friend of Johnny, at the moment I am staying in his house.”

"Johnny's friend? Wow! Now that's a surprise.

"What do you mean?” The samurai questioned, quite confused.

"Johnny doesn’t have many friends, except for Carl, Mr. Pops and me. People don’t usually bear with him.” The teenager explained, shrugging her shoulders, as if it were something really obvious. "My name is Suzy, by the way. Where do you say you met Johnny?”

"I am his karate instructor at master Hama’s academy. Kindly, Johnny invited me to live in his house while that I stay in this age.”

"In this age? Don’t tell me that Carl's time machine did work?” Unlike the other people Jack had met in that place, Suzy seemed to be really smart.

"Yes, exactly! The Bravos seem not to believe me, but they still let me stay with them. They are very good people…” He added. "Unfortunately, the time machine broke down and that is the reason why I am working. I must earn the money needed for Carl to build a new one.”

"Awesome! You know Jack, I'm glad you're Johnny's friend.” Suzy changed the subject again. "Something tells me that he doesn’t really like Carl very much and he was the only friend of his age he had until now that you arrived.”

"Oh… Actually, I am over fifty years old, but I am afraid that story will have to wait, since I have to leave now to get early to my job place.”

"See you Jack!” The girl watched the strange Asian man walk away. She didn’t know if everything he said was true or if he was trying to tease her, just for being a teenager. But she decided not to give importance at the moment as she entered the house to do what she was going to do from the beginning: annoy Johnny.

"Hi! Johnny!” She shouted after opening the door loudly.

"Just what I was missing! Don’t you have to go play with your dolls?” The blond complained, since he could not stand the presence of Suzy, who had bothered him since she was a little girl.

"I'm fifteen! I don’t play with dolls anymore if you haven’t noticed.”

"As if I cared! Don’t you have something better to do than come to bother me every day?”

"Why so grumpy? Did something happen with Jack?” The girl implied jokingly.

"What? No! Nothing has happened with Jack, everything is perfect with him.” He denied with nervousness. "Wait! Do you know Jack?”

"I just met him at the entrance. It's a bit weird, but he seems like a good person. It is rare that you allow other men to be near you Johnny, much less in your own home.”

"That's because, he's my karate instructor. You should see his movements girl! It's much cooler than Ringo Squint, I can assure you.”

Suzy really was surprised of that, except for the pathetic actor of that third category show, Johnny had never shown admiration for anyone and that was something totally new for her. But she genuinely was glad that his beloved Johnny got more friends, maybe that made him change his attitude a bit. She thought maybe having a mature adult by his side would make him mature a little too and that was something she looked forward to. Since childhood she had always been in love with Johnny, but she knew that with his attitude as a womanizer and his immaturity, he was never going to focus on her.

* * *

As time passed, each day the Bravos became more and more accustomed to Jack's presence in their lives. Bunny was happy to finally have a reliable man at home, to whom she could entrust with the household chores, that she could not perform. In addition, Jack helped her take care of her son and so, she had much more free time to take care of her things.

For his part, Johnny's admiration for Jack grew. Mainly because in his classes, he finally felt a noticeable improvement. With the help of his instructor, he was able to make movements that never in his life had come to believe he could perform and it was all thanks to the Asian's patience to teach him. Jack always tried several times until Johnny was able to follow his instructions, and never lost his temper no matter how clumsy he was; very different from master Hama, who always scolded him.

In the case of Jack, he really began to appreciate the Bravos, who were always hospitable to him. When they were in the house, they used to watch TV together or play board games. Jack did not mind at all helping with household chores or even having to cook for Johnny, when his mother went out to one of her activities. On the contrary, he felt really useful and that he was paying in a certain way, all their kindness. Although he had to admit, he really felt comfortable being with them and never thought of himself again, as a nuisance to them.

Another activity that Johnny and Jack learned to enjoy, was talking at night before going to sleep. At first it was more just the blond talking about himself and about the trivialities of his day to day. But at some point, Johnny asked Jack to tell things about him and contrary to what everyone would think, he came to prefer listening to the stories of the samurai.

Johnny thought that Jack probably invented all those fantastic stories, just to entertain him and so that he could sleep much better. Since everything sounded really wonderful: the luxurious castle that Jack said was his home, the beautiful landscapes he described, the warriors and their training, the strange but fascinating ceremonies of that distant land. Johnny was not so imaginative that he could not recreate all that in his mind, but he did relax at the pleasant sound of Jack's calm voice and the eloquence of his words when relating such wonderful facts.

Jack also understood, that Suzy was a constant presence at Johnny's house. Usually the teenager came without warning and none seemed to mind, but he could see that the blond apparently was irritated too much by that young girl. Although he could understand it perfectly, since it seemed that Suzy's favorite pastime was just making Johnny mad at any nonsense. That simply made him laugh, because when Suzy talked with Bunny or with him, she was a pretty nice and above all, an intelligent young woman; but she really got exasperating when she interacted with Johnny, and Jack knew, she did everything on purpose. But seeing Johnny angry, was something that he found very funny too; since the blond was quite childish and easy to disturb.

Over time, Jack and Suzy also became good friends. It seemed that she was the only one who really believed in all his nonsense about coming from the past and having fought a malevolent demon. In fact, Jack had come to notice that in that town, people were quite friendly, but not very bright; except for few ones like Suzy or Carl.

At that time, Johnny had not gone through uncomfortable situations with Jack, like in the first days he was living in his house, and he had practically forgotten those episodes; until one day he entered his room, only to find a scene that made him stay petrified at his room’s door: Jack was sitting on the floor, facing away from Suzy, who was sitting on Johnny's bed, combing his hair, as if it were rather another woman.

Johnny got hypnotized by seeing how the young woman carefully brushed the brush over the silky, dark mane of the samurai. Jack's hair was extremely beautiful, Johnny could not remember a single woman, of all those he had courted in his life, who had such a bright, straight hair. After brushing it, Suzy proceeded to braid it skillfully, making a nice hairstyle; that enhanced the natural beauty of the man’s face, without making him seem effeminate at all.

"Johnny, we didn’t realize you were there.” Suzy said, when she noticed the presence of the blond, who was still gawking at the door.

"I'm sorry if we're invading your space Johnny.” Jack apologized, thinking that maybe they were abusing their friend's goodwill.

"Huh? No, no, not at all.” Johnny pretended to cough, to disguise his discomfort, having been discovered sniffing.

"Well? What do you think of my work?” Suzy proudly pointed at Jack, who was a little embarrased but smiling.

"Oh, I ... I mean ..." Johnny got even more nervous, since he felt exposed to Jack. It was the second time he had took his breath away with his strange beauty, and Johnny did not like the idea of thinking like that about another man; much less someone who he respected, as was Jack.

"Are you okay, Johnny? Your face is red.” Jack got up and went to Johnny, taking him by the nape to push him to himself and be able to place his forehead on the blond's. "It seems you have a little temperature.” He added with concern.

The blush and heat on Johnny's face, did nothing but grow. What was that way of measuring the temperature? Why did he have to get so close? The blond asked himself, who had seen the whole scene practically in slow motion: the beautiful man approaching until he was so close to his face, that their noses almost collided. For a moment even, Johnny through his glasses, admired the depth of his dark eyes, which looked at him with genuine concern.

"Maybe I'm getting sick!” Johnny laughed nervously, as he pulled away as much as he could from Jack. "I think I'll go ask my mom for medicine." He quickly fled the room, leaving Jack and Suzy alone again.

"I hope it's nothing serious.” Jack mentioned, going back to Suzy, who had observed the whole scene,  concluding that definitely, there was something odd there.

 

To be continue…

 


	5. Suzy's plan

**Suzy’s Plan**

Since the day she observed how Johnny was dumbfounded with Jack, Suzy began to fear that something strange was happening there. As the womanizer that Johnny was, she doubted that it was what she thought, but she dedicated herself to observe them more closely, and even to try to get information from them and each time, her suspicions increased.

First of all, she took care of questioning Jack:

"What do you think about Johnny?" She asked him like that without further ado, while she and Jack were alone.

"I think Johnny is a good man."  He answered honestly.

"Just that is what you can tell me about him?"

"Oh, well ..." Jack stopped to think for a moment, it seemed strange that Suzy was so insistent on the subject, so he concluded that the girl had feelings for his friend. If so, Jack would take care of making a good impression of him. “To tell you the truth, I think Johnny is a phenomenal man. In all my travels, I had not met someone as passionate as him. When something interests him, is really dedicated. In addition, he works hard with everything, for example, as despite not being very skilled in karate, he gives his best to learn and improve day by day. Or as though he does not have luck with the ladies, he is always persevering and does not give up.

«Johnny is a man who has many qualities, although at first he looks carefree and self-centered, when you get to know him, you realize that he has a big heart. Johnny is also quite innocent, as if he were a child, and I can assure you, that there are very few people in the world, who are kept so pure. Also, he can be quite clumsy, but if you ask me, I think that is rather another attractive quality, since he can be very funny. I can spend hours with him without getting bored, since his occurrences and his relaxed way of being, are really invigorating. Not to mention, he is an extremely attractive young man and he has an exceptional physique »

Suzy was bowled over by Jack's speech. He spoke as if he were madly in love with Johnny, why would he list all the blond's qualities in detail? But she decided that it was better not to rush to draw wrong conclusions. After all, Jack was a highly educated man and a gentleman, probably he said all those compliments as a courtesy.

"I see ... I also think the same." She simply accepted and gave up the conversation.

Another day, it was Johnny's turn to go through the redhead's confessional. She waited for Jack to leave for work, to attack the blond who was watching television, after having had the delicious breakfast prepared by the samurai.

"Hey Johnny, what do you think about Jack?"

“What?! Why should I think something about him? What are you up to, girl?” Johnny became extremely nervous at that question. The awkward situations he had been experiencing with Jack, were bad enough for him; as for that little girl to keep rubbing it on his face.

“I don't know, it still seems strange to me that you've decided to have a man in your house”

“What stupid things do you say? Jack is not just any man. He is my karate teacher and is very good at it. Besides ...” Johnny stopped before saying more, he didn't have to give explanations to Suzy's nosy in the first place.

“Besides?” She insisted.

"Besides, that’s none of your business! Don't you have to go play house or something?”

Suzy realized that it was not worth keep insisting, since Johnny wouldn't tell her anything else. And anyway, the way he acted, getting nervous and trying to avoid the question; those were all the proofs she needed. Now at least she was sure that for Johnny, that Asian was something special. But how special?

“How moody!” The girl complained and left leaving him alone.

"What do I think of Jack?" Johnny repeated to himself, feeling his face get warm again. "Well, Jack is great, much more skilled than my idol and master Hama. He is also really kind to me, tells me stories to go to sleep and cooks delicious breakfasts. I bet he can get any woman he wants. Maybe, I should ask him for some tips to get girls too ...”

 

* * *

 

“Hey Jack, how about we go to the mall tomorrow? You need new clothes, you can't walk through life with so few outfits.” Suzy told the samurai another day. It was true that since he had arrived, Jack had acquired the minimum amount of clothing and needed quite a few more sets, but the girl's true intention was to find out once and for all, if her suspicions were true.

“Perhaps you are right. Of course! We will take advantage that is my day off to go. I will tell Johnny.” For Suzy, that was a first hint. She never mentioned the blond, however, Jack already assumed that he had to accompany them too.

The next day, the three headed to the mall, in order to find clothes for Jack. They entered a couple of stores first, in which Jack, who had no sense of fashion at all, tried to buy a few outfits, however he was always stopped by Johnny:

“With that kind of clothes, you won't get any chicks, Jack. Those the clothes that an old man would wear.”

“You mean, is it a very outdated outfit for this era?”

“Look, your amazing friend Johnny, will take you to a store where you’ll find something that fits you better, not those boring, old man clothes.”

The blond dragged him to another of the stores, where there were much more modern and beautiful clothes. Suzy had to admit that, although Johnny was quite dumb for certain things, he had style and always took good care of his appearance, so she let him be the one who guided Jack. Anyway, she was much more interested in confirming once and for all, that Johnny was developing a love beyond friendship, for that handsome Asian; and that the feeling was reciprocated as she supposed it.

“How about this one Jack?” Asked the blond while he handed some pieces of clothing of his liking. For some strange reason, which he didn't explain himself, Johnny had been moved by the idea of seeing his friend well dressed. After all, for him that strange ‘robe’ that he used all the time, was quite ugly and hid his good anatomy.

“Actually my friend, I trust your good judgment to dress. I am not able to discern what kind of outfit is suitable for this era, so I am going to ask you to please choose for me.”

“In that case, take this, this, this too, these jeans will make your butt stand out, you'll look great with this shirt!” Johnny, much more excited to have been tasked with the responsibility of dressing Jack, began to stack pieces of clothing in Jack's arms; who only carried everything, smiling amused at his friend's lively attitude.

When they had already chosen a good amount, Suzy decided it was time to implement her plan. So, she quickly led them to the fitting room, claiming that Jack had to try on his clothes and not buying blindly; reason that seemed logical to both of them.

"Well, Jack, all you have to do is go in there and try on all these clothes, so you can choose which ones you like best and make you more comfortable." The girl indicated, leading him to one of the cubicles.

“Thanks Suzy, I will try to do it as quickly as possible, therefore you do not have to wait for too long.” Jack entered the place but couldn’t close the door, since Suzy took the opportunity to give Johnny such a push that made him get inside with Jack.

"What the hell is wrong with you, dwarf ?!"

“Johnny, you know that Jack has no experience in this, you should help him try on his clothes.” The girl told him, at the surprised look of the blond.

“What?!”

“You’re both men so, there should be no problem, I would do it myself, but it would be weird. Besides Johnny, you are the one who has the best sense of fashion, you can't let Jack go badly dressed, so you should help him choose.”

“The girl has a point.” Johnny admitted as couldn’t keep his ego from going up to the clouds by hearing that _, ‘he was the one who had the best sense of fashion’_. After all, Suzy understood very well the Johnny’ simple way of thinking and knew how to manipulate him.

“I appreciate the help, Johnny.” Jack thanked deeply, ignorant of the trap in which the two had fallen.

So, Johnny settled along with Jack in that narrow space. At first, Johnny began giving him indications on which garments to combine, to see how it fit. Jack undressed keeping only his underwear, which caused Johnny an odd tingling and a sensation in his stomach, which he could not explain.

Jack on the other hand, attended to all the indications of the blond, putting on the clothes and feeling really good, when Johnny flattered him and told him that they fit perfect. But also, he felt inexplicably relaxed and comfortable with Johnny. Jack was unaware that it was weird to undress in front of another man, just as it was between a man and a woman; and in that closeness, he began to realize things he had not noticed before.

For instance, when Johnny put aside his egocentrism, he was a pretty sweet and kind person; or at least it was with him. Jack had seen Johnny treat other people coldly, much more Carl and Suzy, who were ironically supposed to be his only friends. But the samurai, had been able to witness facets of the blond that apparently, he didn’t show to anyone else. Jack thought that, if it had been poor Carl, Johnny would never have agreed to enter that narrow place to help him with his clothes.

And not only that, being so close, Jack had to admit, that all those beauty routines that Johnny carried out, worked very well. He was able to see how smooth and clean of impurities his skin was. Added to that, Jack noticed for the first time, that Johnny smelled very good, not just the cologne he used, or the fresh mint-scented breath spray; but also the natural smell that even with everything, it was possible to perceive being so close. He realized that everything he had said to Suzy about Johnny, wasn't just to make him look good, it was actually what he thought about him.

But later, Jack had a fleeting memory about Ashi. For a moment he remained petrified, looking at a fixed point on the ground, while holding the next garment to be tried.

“Jack? What's up, man?” Johnny moved his hand in front of Jack's eyes, trying to get him out of that weird trance he was in.

“Oh! I beg your pardon Johnny.” Greatly embarrassed he apologized. “I think, it is enough with the clothes that I already tried on. May we proceed to pay and return?”

"Sure ..." Johnny shrugged and decided not to ask more, but even he could tell that something was wrong with Jack. Could it be that the samurai was also feeling those butterflies in his stomach, as he was feeling? Or maybe he felt disgusted about being there and having to change clothes in front of him? The blond wondered.

Both men left the dressing room wearing gloomy faces, which Suzy did not go unnoticed. The girl was hoping to find a pair of extremely flushed and heated men, or that they simply came out as if nothing had happened, which would help her to check if her suspicions were true. But those expressions were definitely not expected.

The three went to paid for the clothes Jack would buy, and decided it was time to go for something for lunch, so they headed to the food court.

The whole time they were having lunch, was too awkward for all three. Jack was so absorbed in his thoughts, that he should ask to be repeated the questions that were directed at him. On the other hand, Johnny seemed to have lost his speech. He devoted himself to eating his unhealthy hamburgers, watching how Jack continued to be distracted and wondering if he had anything to do with it.

"Can you excuse me for a moment? I need to go to the restroom.” Jack excused himself, once they had finished eating.

But what bothered Jack was not Johnny; but himself and his odd thoughts. Why did he have to remember Ashi at a time like that? The samurai decided to wash his face with fresh water. The cold of the water made his mind clear and then, he understood something very important: with Johnny, he felt as happy again, as he did when he was with Ashi. But what did that mean?

Meanwhile, Suzy decided that she should take the opportunity to interrogate Johnny and gather important information for her theory, so she wasted no time:

"What happened in that dressing room, Johnny?"

“What?! What do you mean?” Johnny was alarmed, worried that in some inexplicable way, Suzy was reading his thoughts.

“You both came out of there with awful long faces. Did something happen with Jack?”

“I ... I don't know, suddenly he just froze. As if he was remembering something very sad.” He admitted thinking that Suzy was smarter than him and maybe she could explain what had happened.

“I see…”

"Only that are you going to say?!  And where is your super psychological analysis of the situation?”

“I'm not a clairvoyant Johnny! You’ll have to ask yourself. Anyway, why are you so interested?”

“What? No! I don’t care at all! What makes you believe that I care?” Totally flushed and nervous, Johnny turned around unsuccessfully trying to hide his feelings; that he wasn't clear anyway.

“Oh well, I guess we'll find out later, what bothers Jack. How about we take care to have a good time the rest of the afternoon? Maybe that will cheer him up.”

Johnny opened his eyes surprised at the young woman's attitude. She was definitely much more mature, although he wouldn't admit it to her; and rather he thought she had an excellent idea.

But why did he care so much anyway?

 

To be continued…


	6. Could it be that I…?

The episode at the mall was left behind. Jack tried not to focus on those strange feelings he had discovered that day, and preferred to concentrate on the most serious problems that afflicted him: The samurai had a goal in mind and he wouldn’t rest until he could achieve it. However, he was quite worried that as his pace, it would take even years to get enough money to build the time machine that would return him to his time.

The payment that Master Hama gave him was not very high and despite the fact that he was practically living at the expense of Bunny, just like his son; it was not enough to accomplish his task as quickly as he wanted. Jack had other expenses, such as buying clothes, or going out to have fun with Johnny and Suzy. Since they always insisted that he couldn’t live just working, without having time to distract himself from his obligations. So, despite having been living at that era for a few months, he still hadn’t collected half the money he needed.

He thought about looking for a second job, since he had already got used to how things worked at that time and it could be easier for him to get to do some other kind of job. But he immediately gave up on that idea, since he had a much more important task to do: taking care of Johnny.

Since he started living with the Bravos, Bunny had entrusted him with the care of his son. Accompany him, cook for him, do household chores, among other things; which the woman took care of before Jack's arrival. But having him, she could delegate those tasks and get more free time for herself. Which she needed, because Bunny was, first of all, a full-time mother. Jack for his part, couldn’t refuse, because he felt indebted to the woman for having welcomed him into her home.

Although that was not entirely true. Jack indeed wanted to give back to the woman in some way all what she did for him, but being Johnny's ‘babysitter’ wasn’t a task he disliked at all. In the short time he had known him, Johnny had given many lessons to the wise and experienced Jack. Something he never expected, since being a man as old as he was (although not in appearance) and having lived so many things during his travels; he never thought there were more things he could learn.

However, meeting the wild blond, proved him wrong. Nevertheless, the lessons Johnny gave him had nothing to do with what he had to learn in the past, in order to defeat Aku. Johnny had taught him to live a happy, carefree and peaceful life.

Or so it was most of the time...

One of many days, it had occurred to Johnny to take Jack to one of his ‘hunts’ at the park. The blond wished to get rid of those strange feelings that Jack caused him, and what better way, than conquering a ‘chick’? He knew that the only thing that could distract his mind at that moment, and make him forget all those confusing emotions, that the samurai caused him, was to get a girlfriend once and for all. So, he decided to take advantage of his instructor, going to the park to show off his new karate movements and thus, get some woman's attention.

So that day, Jack very excited and cheerful, prepared what was necessary to have a picnic, at Johnny's request. What Jack didn’t know, was that the clumsy man had different plans. So he went to the park, totally ignorant that he would be used by Johnny.

"What a great idea you had! Johnny my friend. The day is beautiful and this place is very pleasant. Surely we will relax a lot, enjoying this peace.” Jack mentioned, while placing the blanket under a large tree that would provide shade.

"Yes, whatever you say..." Johnny replied, totally distracted, as he was measuring the perimeter, looking for women to impress.

"What do you want to do first, Johnny?"

"What about we practice some karate?" He suggested without wasting time, while making his typical movements, which always made Jack laugh.

"Oh well, today is my day off, so I thought we would relax."

"Come on Jack! It’ll be just for fun.”

"If that is what you desire, I have no problem with it, my friend. It is always good to keep the body in constant motion and exercise every day. Very well! Besides, if we are tired, lunch will taste better.” The samurai accepted cheerfully, thinking that surprisingly, Johhny kept having good ideas that day.

Both Jack and Johnny got rid of the upper parts of their outfits, so as not to dirty them with sweat, and got themselves in position. Of course, the samurai didn’t intend to go seriously against Johnny in that ‘fight’, he just followed the flow for fun and so that at the same time, the blond could had fun.

And as Johnny planned, as they began to practice, some women approached to observe the scene. It really called attention to see a couple of so good-looking men, with their well-sculpted torsos; demonstrating such martial arts skills. And it was that at that time, Johnny had really improved a lot, not enough to engage in real combat, but sufficient to no longer embarrass himself.

 _‘My plan works. Just look at all those hot girls. Johnny, you're a genius! Now I just have to show off with my movements.’_ The blond thought, very confident of his strategy, so he proceeded to get much more serious with his ‘combat’.

Jack noticed Johnny's sudden change, the multitude that crowded around them and understood everything immediately. The samurai was nothing silly and he had already lived with Johnny enough to realize his intentions. So, although inwardly he wasn’t very comfortable with the idea, he decided to help him anyway. With one of his weak movements, Johnny managed to bring down his rival, or rather, Jack let him win.

The women cheered and praised Johnny, commented on how strong and skilled, as well as good looking he was. The man on the other hand, was extremely excited. He didn’t understand how, but his plan had gone perfectly. Although internally, Johnny didn’t celebrate the fact that he had attracted the attention of women, but rather, the possibility of getting rid of his confusing feelings towards Jack.

However, he was Johnny Bravo and if Johnny Bravo was an expert on something, that was to make women angry in the blink of an eye. As they approached him, Johnny started to shout annoying things at the speed of a submachine gun.

"Don't fight girls, there's Johnny for everyone!"

“Like what you see? Who wanna go for a walk with daddy Johnny?”

“How you like these pecs huh?”

And so on, which ended up infuriating the offended women, who didn't hesitate to attack the annoying blond. Between claims and complaints, the women began to take turns slapping Johnny, kicking his shin or stomping on him. The whole scene was quite funny, seen by someone outside, and surely Johnny deserved all that and more; however, Jack thought in a totally different way.

At one point, the samurai stood between the women and his friend:

"Excuse me, honorable ladies, but I must put an end to these acts of violence. I request you in the most attentive way, to stop harming my friend.”

"Is that cretin your friend?"

"He must be another jerk, that’s too bad, he’s so good-looking!"

“None of them worth it! Let’s go”

One by one the women abandoned the place, leaving the two men alone. Johnny was on the floor covering his head with his hands, and Jack crouched beside him, posing one of his hands on the blond's shoulder.

"They are gone already, Johnny."

“Uh?” The man uncovered his head and indeed, he just found Jack’s kind face. There was no trace of the enraged women. So he got up quickly, placed his hands on his waist and inflated his chest, wearing a boastful pose. "Please don't think I was scared of them, Jack!"  He announced and then laughed nervously. "I’m a gentleman and would never defend myself against a women.”

“That is very good.” Jack widened his smile. "Since the karate demonstration did not go as expected, do you think we may proceed to lunch?"

Johnny felt a burning heat on his face. Even he could tell that Jack knew perfectly about his plans. With his head down, he took a seat next to Jack on the blanket he had previously prepared, and waited for his friend to make him a sandwich and serve him some soda. He ate as if he was starving, just to try to distract himself from the awkwardness he felt, but it didn’t work.

"Thank you ... for helping me with the angry chicks, Jack.” He finally said.

“Do not mention it. It is true that you should not have said the things that made them angry, but that did not entitle them to use such violent methods against you. Although if you ever see them again, it would be good if you apologize to them.”

“Yes sir.” Johnny felt like a scolded child.

"Cheer up Johnny! I do not like to see that long face. I prefer you to be the same vivacious young man as always.” Jack urged, upon seeing his reaction. “To be honest, I wish I could help you conquer some woman, it is my wish to see you happy Johnny.” He admitted melancholy.

“Why?”

"I see how perseverant you are, and it hurts me deeply, that no woman is able to see how good a person you are Johnny. I wish I could somehow make them see you as I see you.”

Johnny was completely speechless, and he even stopped eating, looking dumbfounded at Jack. He didn't understand why, but those words made him feel very strange. A nothing pleasant heat, lodged in his chest and he began to feel his stomach churn, but not unpleasantly.

After lunch, they collected their things and made their way back home. Once there, Jack dedicated himself to do a few household chores and at night he helped Bunny to cook the dinner. Meanwhile, Johnny took care to distract his mind by playing video games. His plan had been a resounding failure, and practically backfire him. Instead of forgetting his cumbersome feelings, he only began to feel different ones, much deeper. But deep down, he was also happy for everything Jack had said and how he defended him from the mob of angry women.

At night, Johnny pretended to be asleep, and waited for Jack himself to lie down and fall asleep, to seize the moment. The blond turned on the bathroom light and left the door ajar, so that a dim light would illuminate the room, to avoid waking up Jack.

He then devoted himself to observe the sleeping man, detailing as much as the darkness allowed him, all his features. Johnny admitted to himself, that Jack was a handsome man, who could very well compete in attractiveness with any woman. His hair had caught his attention from the beginning, but this time, boldly, he reached out his hand to take some strands between his fingers. He was surprised to find that, indeed, Jack's black hair was as silky as he imagined.

Then, he dared to go further and placed his index finger on the face of the Asian. Again, he found that his suspicions were true, since he also thought that his skin was very soft to the touch. Jack had a few wrinkles, but he didn't look much older than he was, and he found himself wondering how old Jack could be. But whatever it was, Johnny was completely sure that his beauty was undeniable.

The blond sighed with concern, but immediately as a flash, a memory invaded his mind, leaving him frozen. When he was very young, at a fateful New Year's Eve party, the tragedy occurred: he kissed a boy by mistake. Johnny had buried that ‘horrible’ and shameful memory in the back of his mind, but it was what fleetingly crossed his thoughts at that moment.

Then, he realized that it wasn’t true that occasion had been something horrible. Actually, he had enjoyed that kiss, but he had never accepted it before. It was a fact for him to be a straight male, who was only interested in sexy women. And having enjoyed such contact with a man, was out of question. He convinced himself that it was a mistake of his youth and that the soda had risen to his head. Even though Johnny continued to be childish, a stop of maturity seized his mind at that moment, just enough to realize that he had been fooling himself throughout that time.

"Could it be that ...?"

The blond decided that it was better to turn off the light, return to his bed and rest; so he took refuge under his blankets and fell asleep immediately. After all, he was Johnny Bravo, and there was nothing that could take away Johnny Bravo's rest.

Meanwhile, Jack opened his eyes, checking that his host was already snoring. And he smiled, actually he had been pretending to be asleep and he could feel Johnny stroking his hair and face, in such a tender and careful manner; he just couldn't help feeling joy.

 

To be continue…


End file.
